With remarkable advances in computer, telecommunication and network technologies, information delivery or content delivery service has been proliferating and advancing to deliver not only traditional radio and television signals, but also audio, video or other multimedia contents. The contents can be delivered via cable, satellite, optical fibers, wireless communication networks, or the like. Meanwhile, the contents can be transmitted among various terminals such as personal computers, media players, cellular phones, televisions, or other electronic devices while using different protocols. For example, a user may use the personal computer to transmit traffic information to his or her friend's cellular phone via wireless communication networks, including the Internet.
Furthermore, certain portable electronic devices have been equipped with location determining means, such as a global positioning system (GPS), to determine the current location of the portable device, which enables some content delivery services to provide location-based information to the user to efficiently serve the user. For example, when the user enters a new city or an unfamiliar area, the location-based information, such as dining, lodging, tourist, event information, etc. may be delivered and shown on the user's navigation device, such that the user can have better understanding of the new environment. However, without considering the user's preference, such information may not appropriately serve the user's best need.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,687,608 to Sugimoto et al. discloses a navigation and an information notification system and method displaying service or shop information according to a current position of a user and the user's profile. Furthermore, the navigation system will calculate a route to the shop and display it to the user, as shown in FIG. 1. However, Sugimoto does not disclose anything related to displaying information to the user according to the content stored in the user's portable device and the user's current location.
U.S. Pat. App. Pub. No. 2008/0242280 discloses a method and a system for delivering content to a plurality of user devices configured to communicate via a wireless data network, as illustrated in FIG. 2. The content may include at least one of static, dynamic or on-demand content element, which can be delivered via the wireless data network during different timings. For example, the dynamic content element is delivered substantially according to the schedule, while the on-demand content element is delivered substantially immediately after the user's request. This content delivery method and system, however, does not disclose how to provide a notification to the user according to the content in the user's portable device and the user's current location.
U.S. Pat. App. Pub. No. 2008/0091796 discloses a method and system for delivering customized electronic content over a network, as depicted in FIG. 3. Like Sugimoto, the content can be delivered to a specific user based on the user's profile, such as gender, age, location, etc. In one embodiment, this invention is adapted to deliver a customized content file to a playback device, wherein a user is allowed to subscribe to the customized content provider that delivers customized content file(s) to the user's playback device. Although the user's location is one of the factors considered by the system while delivering the content, the system does not consider the content in the user's playback device to provide most adequate information to the user.
Therefore, there remains a need for a new and improved apparatus and method to deliver content or information to the user. More specifically, the apparatus and method is adapted to provide content or information to the user according to the user's current location and the content in the user's playback device, such that the user may receive location-based information which better serves the user's need and preference.